Sunday, 29 January 2017

How does it feel to sleep in the bottle house or in a dome-shaped
house? Or praying in a temple-shaped mosque or in a mosque that
resembled a famous cathedral in Russia?

Followings are five unique architectures in Indonesia that will amaze or perhaps even inspire you.

1. Gunongan in Aceh

Gunongan is a unique mountain-shaped building constructed by Sultan
Iskandar Muda in the early 17th century. Rumor has it that gunongan was
constructed to cure the longing of the sultan’s wife, Princess Phang, to
her hometown in Pahang, Malaysia, which was surrounded by hills. The
height of the building which is located in Teuku Umar street is around
9.5 meters and is consisted of three floors.

2. Dome-shaped Houses in Yogyakarta

You may still remember the great earthquake that struck Yogyakarta
and surrounding areas in 2006. The earthquake not only claimed thousand
lives but also destroyed thousand buildings and houses. In order to
prevent similar disaster in the future, a foreign NGO designed an
earthquake proof house. The interesting part is that the architecture of
this building is very unique, with its dome structure that resembles an
eskimo or Teletubbies house!

The construction of these earthquake-proof houses has changed the
landscape of the village which makes it different from other nearby
villages. Interested to see the houses yourself? Go to Ngelepen
Sub-Village, Sumberharjo Village, Prambanan, Yogyakarta.

3. The Bottle House in Bandung

Energy drink is not only useful for improving the body stamina but
can also be used to strengthen a house. The Bandung Mayor’s residence in
Cigadung street, Bandung, is the perfect example for this.

It use energy drink bottles for the building construction. The use of
these bottles were not only function to support the building but also
enable the sunlight burst through them. Therefore, you will not need to
turn on the lights during the day.

The unique architecture was awarded Green Design Award by BCI
(Building Construction Information) Asia in 2009. In addition to helping
reduce the amount of waste, it can also reduce the use of air
conditioners because the hot air will be trapped inside the bottle. This
will eventually reduce electricity consumption and save cost.

4. “Temple” Mosque in Surabaya

Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque in Surabaya is located in Gading street
Surabaya. This mosque has an unusual shape due to its resemblance to a
Chinese temple. The mosque was established by Chinese Muslim community
of Surabaya and was completed in 2002. The Chinese architectural style
dominates this mosque, from the doorway that resembles a Chinese pagoda
to the presence of dragon relief and lion statues.

The name of Cheng Ho is derived from the name of an admiral of Ming
Dynasty, China, who led an expedition to Indonesia in early 15th
century. The building itself was inspired by Niu Jie Mosque in Beijing
and also influenced by Middle Eastern and Javanese architectural styles.

5. “Kremlin” Mosque in Jogja

If you travel from Jogja to Solo, don’t forget to visit “Kremlin” or
“Lollipop” Mosque in Solo street, Candisari, Kalasan, Sleman. This
mosque is unique because the dome resembles the St. Basil’s Cathedral
dome in Red Square, Moscow, Russia. Many people mistakenly believe that
the building is a game centre or a souvenir shop due to the unique and
colourful architecture that looks like a candy or fairy castle. The
exterior was Russian-inspired. However, it turned out that the pulpit
and the interior of An-Nurumi Mosque features a Javanese architectural
style.